RDA Members

Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the process by which (a) chairmen and (b) members of regional development agencies are appointed. [75238]

Alan Johnson:
The process for appointing both the Regional Development Agency Chairs and Board Members is run according to the Code of Practice issued by the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments (OCPA).

21 Oct 2002 : Column 71W

Appointments are made on merit, following open competition, application and formal interviews. Each applicant is assessed against the selection criteria, as set out in the person specification for the post. Some candidates for the RDA Chair positions were identified through executive search. These candidates went through the same process (including interviews) and were assessed on the same criteria as candidates who responded to the advertisement.

Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the members of each regional development agency stating for each member the (a) date of, (b) length of, their appointment and (c) their qualifications for the job. [75237]

Ms Hewitt:
The dates of appointment for current Regional Development Agency (RDA) board members are detailed in the table below.

The Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 states that in appointing members to the RDA Boards, ''the Secretary of State shall have regard to the desirability of appointing a person who has experience of, and has shown capacity in, some matter relevant to the functions of the agency.''

Board members' backgrounds include trade unions, the voluntary sector and rural interests; and at least half the members have current or recent business experience. On each RDA board, four of the board members are drawn from local government.

Before being appointed to the boards, potential board members are assessed against the criteria set out in the person specification for the posts.

Date of first appointment

Date of re-appointment

Expiry
date of appointment

Advantage West Midlands

Stephenson Alex

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Barnes Richard

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Bhattacharyya Kumar

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Bore Albert

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Davies Sue

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Harris Anthony

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Holmes Bill

11/02/02

13/12/04

Kaur Stubbs

Sukhvinder

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

King Christine

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Moore Isabella

14/12/01

13/12/04

Price Norman

14/04/00

13/04/03

Sealey Tony

14/12/01

13/12/04

Sparkes David

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Tilsley Paul

14/12/01

13/12/04

Woods-Scawen Brian

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

East of England Regional Development Agency

Watts Vincent

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Ali Roger

14/12/01

13/12/04

Bagnall Ruth

14/12/01

13/12/04

Brinton Sal

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Cereste Marco

14/12/01

13/12/04

Cherry Alan

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Grant Greg

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Martin Peter

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Murray Leo

14/12/01

13/12/04

Paveley Chris

14/12/01

13/12/04

Powell Richard

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Reyner Neville

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Shariff Yasmin

14/12/01

13/12/04

Skinner Marie

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

East Midlands Development Agency

Mapp Derek

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Bilgan Kashmir

14/12/01

13/12/04

Bradford Jane

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Carr Bryan

14/12/99

14/12/02

13/12/05

Chapman Graham

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Gadsby Peter

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Gardner Gill

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Gemmell Samantha

14/12/01

13/12/04

McLeod Jonathan

14/12/01

13/12/04

Patel Rita

14/12/01

13/12/04

Ramsden Peter

14/12/01

13/12/04

Scarborough Andrew

14/12/01

13/12/04

Morgan-Webb Patricia

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Whittaker Ron

14/12/99

14/12/02

13/12/05

Wood Christine

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

North West Development Agency

Gray Bryan

01/04/02

31/03/05

Chamberlain Neville

14/12/01

13/12/04

Doyle Miichael

14/12/98

14/12/02

13/12/02

Dunning John

14/12/98

14/12/02

13/12/04

Goodey Felicity

14/12/98

14/12/02

13/12/02

Harris Martin

14/12/01

13/12/04

Jeanes Clive

14/12/98

14/12/02

13/12/03

Lane Pauleen

14/12/01

13/12/04

Leese Richard

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Manning Alan

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Mendoros Dennis

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Reade Kath

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Ruia Anil

14/12/01

13/12/04

Smith Brenda

14/12/01

13/12/04

Storey Michael

14/12/01

13/12/04

One North East

Bridge John

14/12/98

16/07/01

13/12/03

Arkley Alistair

14/12/98

19/12/01

13/12/03

Cantle-Jones Tim

07/12/01

13/12/04

Dennis Barbara

14/12/98

19/12/01

13/12/03

Edwards Christopher

07/12/01

13/12/04

Fisher Jackie

07/12/01

13/12/04

Hodgson Geoff

07/12/01

13/12/04

Hughes Philllip

14/12/98

19/12/01

13/12/04

Maudslay Richard

14/12/98

19/12/01

13/12/04

Nolan Jane

07/12/01

13/12/04

Stringfellow Rita

14/12/98

19/12/01

13/12/02

Walsh David

07/12/01

13/12/04

Williams John

14/12/98

07/02/02

13/12/02

Wilson Susan

14/12/98

19/12/01

13/12/01

South East England Development Agency

Willett Allan

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Bodfish Ken

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Booth Clive

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

Brathwaite James

14/12/01

13/12/04

Brighouse Elizabeth

14/12/01

13/12/04

Camfield Barry

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/03

Douglas Robert

14/12/01

13/12/04

Kong Janis

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/04

McAnally Mary

01/11/00

31/10/03

Oliver Kit

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Read Peter

01/11/00

31/10/03

Thornber Thomas

(Kenneth)

14/12/01

13/12/04

Ward Sarah

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Williams Caroline

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

Wilson Kevin

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/02

South West of England Regional Development Agency

Lickiss Michael

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Ansari Doris

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Buckland Nicholas

14/12/01

13/12/04

Chalke Peter

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Costley Nigel

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Holland Helen

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Kemp Brian

14/12/01

13/12/04

Leece Michael

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Morris Alfred

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Nicholl Robin

14/12/01

13/12/04

Pope Jeremy

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Porritt Jonathon

15/12/99

15/12/02

14/12/02

Skellett Colin

14/12/01

13/12/04

Yorkshire Forward

Hall Graham

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Ashcroft John

15/12/99

14/12/02

Barker Muriel

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Bosomworth Eileen

14/12/01

13/12/04

Coburn Jeanne

17/10/00

16/10/03

Cummins Julian

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Greenwood Brian

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Gregory Richard

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Haskins Christopher

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Hougton Stephen

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Jagger Paul

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

King Christopher

14/12/01

13/12/04

Malik Adeeba

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

Pinnock Kathryn

14/12/01

13/12/04

Warhurst Pamela

14/12/98

14/12/01

13/12/01

21 Oct 2002 : Column 73W

Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the known political affiliations of members of the regional development agencies, stating whether she and her predecessors (a) had this information at the time of appointment of and (b) took account of the information when making the appointment. [75235]

Ms Hewitt:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 July 2002, Official Report, column 674W, which listed the political affiliation of Regional Development Agency (RDA) board members as declared under the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice.

This information is required under the OCPA code as part of the application process for all public appointments. It is not part of the information used when deciding whom to appoint. The exception to this is the four local authority posts on each RDA board. Information on political affiliation is taken into account by Ministers making these appointments, as the aim is for RDA boards to reflect generally the political make up of their region. However, even for local authority appointments, political balance is a secondary consideration to the overriding principle of appointment on merit.

21 Oct 2002 : Column 74W

Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the number of applicants for each vacancy for membership of the regional development agencies. [75236]

Ms Hewitt:
Information on the current appointments process for RDA board members (outside London) is set out in the table below.

RDA

Post

Number of Applications(8)

AWM

Business

34

Local Authority(9)

13

Multiple(10)

2

NWDA

Business(11)

52

Local Authority

13

Voluntary Sector(11)

22

Multiple(10)

1

EMDA

Local Authority

12

Trade Union

3

Business(12)

7

Higher/Further

Education(12)

1

Multiple(10)

2

SEEDA

Business(9)

59

Local Authority(9)

33

Rural

6

Voluntary Sector(12)

1

Social Enterprise(12)

2

Higher/Further

Education(12)

1

Multiple(10)

2

Yorkshire Forward

Business(13)

37

Higher/Further

Education(12)

3

Local Authority(12)

3

Rural(13)

4

Multiple(10)

4

ONE

Business(9)

33

Local Authority

24

Trade Union

7

Multiple(10)

1

EEDA

Business

42

Local Authority(9)

15

Trade Union(12)

1

Multiple(10)

3

SWRDA

Business

51

Higher Education

12

Local Authority

23

Social Enterprise

15

Trade Union(12)

1

Voluntary Sector(12)

2

Multiple(10)

5

Notes:

(8) Some candidates applied for posts in more than one region.

(9) 2 posts.

(10) Applicant claimed primary experience in more than one sector.

(11) NWDA needs 1 business person and 1 either business or voluntary sector.